PDP suspends primaries indefinitely in Imo amid confusion on Electoral Act

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Imo State has suspended its primaries for the House of Assembly and House of Representatives indefinitely over unreconciled delegates list.

The party’s Legal Adviser in the state, Mr. Kessinger Ikeokwu, who confirmed the development in a statement on Sunday, attributed the non-conduct of the primaries to confusion caused by the National Assembly.

The development may not be unconnected with the confusion on whether or not President Muhammadu Buhari had signed the Electoral Act Amendment Bill forwarded to him by the National Assembly a few days ago.

The amendment is crucial to the participation of statutory delegates at the primaries and parties’ national conventions.

He said: “Please note that the reason for the suspension of the PDP House of Assembly and House of Representatives primaries in Imo was a result of the confusion that arose from the error of the National Assembly in the country.

“This is hinged on Section 84 (8) of the Electoral Act which inadvertently led to the exclusion of over 80 percent of delegates ordinarily meant to vote at the primaries.

“The Imo PDP case became compounded because it hadn’t tidied up its three- man ad hoc delegates, who ought to vote at the primaries due to pending litigations.

“Every preparation was made for us to use our statutory delegates to vote, before the National Assembly saw the error in Section 84 of the Amended Electoral Act, 2022, which excluded the statutory delegates.

“What it means is that it created a situation of chaos for Imo because we have not concluded our elected delegates.”

Ikeokwu urged the party faithful to ignore the fifth columnists writing about a crisis in the party.

He assured them that as soon as President Buhari signed the amended Electoral Act, the state delegate list would be properly constituted to vote at the primaries.